1-1     By:  Siebert, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Carona)        H.B. No. 1720

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 9, 1997;

 1-3     April 10, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Economic Development; April 25, 1997, reported favorably by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; April 25, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to a disqualification of eligibility for unemployment

 1-9     compensation benefits for periods of partial unemployment caused by

1-10     a reduction in hours as a result of misconduct.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 201.091, Labor Code, is amended by adding

1-13     Subsection (d) to read as follows:

1-14           (d)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b), an individual is not

1-15     partially unemployed for purposes of this subtitle for a benefit

1-16     period in which the individual's working hours are reduced by the

1-17     individual's employer as a result of misconduct connected with the

1-18     work on the part of the individual.  Such limitation will be

1-19     effective for a maximum of four weeks from the effective date of

1-20     such a reduction in hours.

1-21           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-22     applies only to eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits

1-23     based on a claim filed with the Texas Workforce Commission on or

1-24     after that date.  A claim filed before that date is governed by the

1-25     law in effect on the date that the claim was filed, and the former

1-26     law is continued in effect for that purpose.

1-27           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-28     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-29     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-30     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-31     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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